Beijing, the capital of the biggest country in the world, is the highest-grossing and most profitable video game industry in the world, generating billions of dollars in revenue each year. According to Statistica, in 2019, China’s gaming population rose to over 640 million people. That is over half of the population tapping, swiping, and clicking away at video games almost every day. If you’ve seen your kid doing the same, you might wonder what games are taking up so much of their attention. Here’s the low-down on the most played video games in Beijing: 

Fortnite was released in 2017 and became a worldwide hit

5. Fortnite 

In 2017, Fortnite took the world by storm, quickly gaining the attention of millions around the world. In this game, you skydive into a world with 99 other people, gather weapons and resources, eliminate opponents, and try to be the last player standing. The game is known for its cartoonish art style, unique mechanics, and addictive gameplay. 

League of Legends is one of the most popular games in China

4. League of Legends 

League of Legends is an online MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game developed by Riot games. You play with 4 other people, using different champions and techniques to destroy an enemy spawn point. This game is wildly popular, with over 117 million gamers across China. In 2017, the 2017 League of Legends World Championship was held in Beijing and was watched by over 60 million people around the world.

Visually similar to League of Legends, Honor of Kings was developed by Tencent Games

3. Honor of Kings 

Honor of Kings, or known in Chinese as 王者荣耀 (wángzhě róngyào), is yet another MOBA game developed by Tencent Games. It was originally designed with the Chinese market in mind but soon exploded with popularity around the world. Tencent later released the game in the US as Arena of Valor. Two teams of 5 battle it out, using different heroes and skills to attack and destroy an enemy base. 

PUGB is a ‘battle-royale’ style game, with realistic graphics

2. PUBG 

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or more well known as PUBG, is a multiplayer online battle-royale game that came out in 2016. This game became extremely popular for its addictive gameplay and realistic art style. Similar to Fortnite, 100 players spawn on a map, and try to survive and be the last player alive. PUBG is the most successful PC game in the world and has sold 27.8 million copies worldwide. 

Minecraft is a surprise mega-hit, famous for its retro graphic style

1. Minecraft 

Minecraft is probably the most popular game ever created, developed by Markus Presson, and released in 2011. The game attracted over 480 million players across multiple gaming platforms around the world. This sandbox game allows players to build anything they could dream of, or to gather resources, fight monsters, and try to survive long enough to beat the Ender Dragon, the final boss at the end of the game.

Do you or your kids play video games? What are your favorites? Tell us in the comments! 

Gabriel Low is a year 7 student at Yew Chung International School Beijing (YCIS Beijing). Originally from Singapore, he has lived in Beijing since 2015 and is currently contributing to beijingkids as a student correspondent.

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Photos: Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, Tencent, PUGB Corporation

If your kids play video games, then the chances are they spend a significant amount of time playing Fortnite. The game, in which 100 players battle to be the last survivor in a landscape where they can construct their own fortifications, has become a global phenomenon, attracting over 125 million users since its release last year, and is particularly popular with younger gamers. However, a document circulating on the Internet suggests that Fortnite is about to be banned in China.

Following concerns about the impact of gaming on children, China established an Online Games Ethics Committee to review and censor content. The committee has examined 20 games, with 9 facing a total ban and 11 requiring revision to be approved. No official announcement has been made as to which games they are, but a spreadsheet which has been widely shared online purports to be the committee’s leaked judgment and shows Fortnite as one of the games to be prohibited, for “blood and gore, and vulgar content”.

An English translation of the document, shared at https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/a4w3ux/chinas_ethics_board_reviews_20_popular_online/

Chinese netizens have expressed some skepticism as the authenticity of the document, pointing out that it’s a simple spreadsheet which could easily have been produced by anybody. The document also lists Player Unknown: Battlegrounds, another game popular with Western players, as scheduled for prohibition. Other games such as Overwatch and League of Legends face censorship for “overly revealing female characters” and “inharmonious chatrooms”. The latter comment appears to criticize games companies for inadequate supervision of conversations between players.

While it’s impossible to say whether the spreadsheet is genuine, there are some intriguing implications. “Distorted concepts of history and culture” are targeted in games with a Chinese wuxia setting, while two games are lambasted for “rewards given based on rank”.

Irrespective of the authenticity of this document, it’s clear that the government wants to keep a much tighter grip on games companies, amid increasing alarm about the amount of time children spend on screens.

Photos: Bagogames via Flickr, www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/a4w3ux/